Concrete batch plants, either portable or stationary, include an aggregate bin, an aggregate batcher, an aggregate conveyer, a cement bin, cement feeder, and a cement batcher (weigh hopper). The cement and aggregate are stored in their respective bins, conveyed therefrom to batchers which are generally supported by a conventional suspension hopper scale; and then conveyed from their respective batchers to a mixer, either by gravity or by mechanical means.
In most conventional portable plants, it is customary to position the cement batcher directly above the mixer in order to permit gravity discharge of the dry cement from the batcher to the mixer. Generally large quantities of cement are required, therefore, the batcher is usually quite large and extends a considerable distance into the air. This is particularly the case when the mixer is the truck which mixes and transports the concrete to the site of use. It is thus obvious that a large structure is required to support the batcher and this type of design negates the ready portability of the plant. It has further been found that the location of the batcher above the mixer requires long screw feeders for conveying the cement from the bin to the batcher and a complicated scale system from which the batcher is suspended.